The Word of God

June 30, 2020

Reading 1 – AM 3:1-8; 4:11-12

Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the Lord pronounces over you,over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt: You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth;Therefore I will punish youfor all your crimes. Do two walk togetherunless they have agreed?Does a lion roar in the forestwhen it has no prey?Does a young lion cry out from its denunless it has seized something?Is a bird brought to earth by a snarewhen there is no lure for it?Does a snare spring up from the groundwithout catching anything?If the trumpet sounds in a city,will the people not be frightened?If evil befalls a city,has not the Lord caused it?Indeed, the Lord God does nothingwithout revealing his planto his servants, the prophets. The lion roarswho will not be afraid!The Lord God speakswho will not prophesy! I brought upon you such upheavalas when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah:you were like a brand plucked from the fire;Yet you returned not to me,says the Lord. So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel!and since I will deal thus with you,prepare to meet your God, O Israel.

Alleluia – PS 130:5

Gospel – MT 8:23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,so that the boat was being swamped by waves;but he was asleep.They came and woke him, saying,“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,and there was great calm.The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

June 30, 2020 – The First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

Reading 1 – ROM 8:31B-39

Brothers and sisters:If God is for us, who can be against us?He did not spare his own Sonbut handed him over for us all,how will he not also give us everything else along with him?Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?It is God who acquits us.Who will condemn?It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,who also is at the right hand of God,who indeed intercedes for us.What will separate us from the love of Christ?Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?As it is written:For your sake we are being slain all the day;we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.No, in all these things we conquer overwhelminglythrough him who loved us.For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,nor angels, nor principalities,nor present things, nor future things,nor powers, nor height, nor depth,nor any other creature will be able to separate usfrom the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 124:2-3, 4-5, 7B-8

R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Had not the LORD been with us– when men rose up against us,then would they have swallowed us aliveWhen their fury was inflamed against us.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;The torrent would have swept over us;over us then would have swept the raging waters.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Broken was the snare,and we were freed.Our help is in the name of the LORD,who made heaven and earth.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Alleluia – MT 5:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples:“See that no one deceives you.For many will come in my name, saying,‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many.You will hear of wars and reports of wars;see that you are not alarmed,for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place.All these are the beginning of the labor pains.Then they will hand you over to persecution,and they will kill you.You will be hated by all nations because of my name.And then many will be led into sin;they will betray and hate one another.Many false prophets will arise and deceive many;and because of the increase of evildoing,the love of many will grow cold.But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.”

June 29, 2020

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, ApostlesMass during the DayLectionary: 591

Reading 1 – ACTS 12:1-11

In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jewshe proceeded to arrest Peter also.–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.–He had him taken into custody and put in prisonunder the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.Peter thus was being kept in prison,but prayer by the Church was fervently being madeto God on his behalf.On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,Peter, secured by double chains,was sleeping between two soldiers,while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by himand a light shone in the cell.He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,“Get up quickly.”The chains fell from his wrists.The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”He did so.Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”So he followed him out,not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;he thought he was seeing a vision.They passed the first guard, then the second,and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,which opened for them by itself.They emerged and made their way down an alley,and suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.I will bless the LORD at all times;his praise shall be ever in my mouth.Let my soul glory in the LORD;lowly will hear me and be glad.R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.Glorify the LORD with me,let us together extol his name.I sought the LORD, and he answered meand delivered me from all my fears.R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,and your faces may not blush with shame.When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,and from all his distress he saved him.R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.The angel of the LORD encampsaround those who fear him, and delivers them.Taste and see how good the LORD is;blessed the man who takes refuge in him.R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

Reading 2 – 2 TM 4:6-8, 17-18

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,and the time of my departure is at hand.I have competed well; I have finished the race;I have kept the faith.From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,which the Lord, the just judge,will award to me on that day, and not only to me,but to all who have longed for his appearance.The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,so that through me the proclamation might be completedand all the Gentiles might hear it.And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.The Lord will rescue me from every evil threatand will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia – MT 16:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church,and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippihe asked his disciples,“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”Simon Peter said in reply,“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.And so I say to you, you are Peter,and upon this rock I will build my Church,and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

June 28, 2020

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 97

Reading 1 – 2 KGS 4:8-11, 14-16A

One day Elisha came to Shunem,where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roofand furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?”His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes!She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.”Elisha said, “Call her.”When the woman had been called and stood at the door,Elisha promised, “This time next yearyou will be fondling a baby son.”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

R. (2A) Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.For you have said, “My kindness is established forever;”in Heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.At your name they rejoice all the day,and through your justice they are exalted.R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.You are the splendor of their strength,and by your favor our horn is exalted.For to the LORD belongs our shield,and the Holy One of Israel, our king.R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2 – ROM 6:3-4, 8-11

Brothers and sisters:Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesuswere baptized into his death?We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,so that, just as Christ was raised from the deadby the glory of the Father,we too might live in newness of life.If, then, we have died with Christ,we believe that we shall also live with him.We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;death no longer has power over him.As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;as to his life, he lives for God.Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sinand living for God in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia – 1 PT 2:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation;announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 10:37-42

Jesus said to his apostles:“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;and whoever does not take up his crossand follow after me is not worthy of me.Whoever finds his life will lose it,and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”Whoever receives you receives me,and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophetwill receive a prophet’s reward,and whoever receives a righteous manbecause he is a righteous manwill receive a righteous man’s reward.And whoever gives only a cup of cold waterto one of these little ones to drinkbecause the little one is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

June 27, 2020

Reading 1 – LAM 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

The Lord has consumed without pityall the dwellings of Jacob;He has torn down in his angerthe fortresses of daughter Judah;He has brought to the ground in dishonorher king and her princes.On the ground in silence sitthe old men of daughter Zion;They strew dust on their headsand gird themselves with sackcloth;The maidens of Jerusalembow their heads to the ground.Worn out from weeping are my eyes,within me all is in ferment;My gall is poured out on the groundbecause of the downfall of the daughter of my people,As child and infant faint awayin the open spaces of the town.In vain they ask their mothers,“Where is the grain?”As they faint away like the woundedin the streets of the city,And breathe their lastin their mothers’ arms.To what can I liken or compare you,O daughter Jerusalem?What example can I show you for your comfort,virgin daughter Zion?For great as the sea is your downfall;who can heal you?Your prophets had for youfalse and specious visions;They did not lay bare your guilt,to avert your fate;They beheld for you in visionfalse and misleading portents.Cry out to the Lord;moan, O daughter Zion!Let your tears flow like a torrentday and night;Let there be no respite for you,no repose for your eyes.Rise up, shrill in the night,at the beginning of every watch;Pour out your heart like waterin the presence of the Lord;Lift up your hands to himfor the lives of your little onesWho faint from hungerat the corner of every street.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 74:1B-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21

R. (19B) Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?Remember your flock which you built up of old,the tribe you redeemed as your inheritance,Mount Zion, where you took up your abode.R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;they have set up their tokens of victory.They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees. R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.They set your sanctuary on fire;the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned. R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.Look to your covenant,for the hiding places in the land and the plains are full of violence.May the humble not retire in confusion;may the afflicted and the poor praise your name.R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Alleluia – MT 8:17

Gospel – MT 8:5-17

When Jesus entered Capernaum,a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”The centurion said in reply,“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;only say the word and my servant will be healed.For I too am a man subject to authority,with soldiers subject to me.And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacobat the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,but the children of the Kingdomwill be driven out into the outer darkness,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”And Jesus said to the centurion,“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”And at that very hour his servant was healed.Jesus entered the house of Peter,and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.He touched her hand, the fever left her,and she rose and waited on him. When it was evening, they brought him manywho were possessed by demons,and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.

June 27, 2020 – Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor of the Church

Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor of the ChurchLectionary: 588

Reading 1 – 2 TM 4:1-5

Beloved:I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,who will judge the living and the dead,and by his appearing and his kingly power:proclaim the word;be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrinebut, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truthand will be diverted to myths.But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;put up with hardship;perform the work of an evangelist;fulfill your ministry.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 21-22, 25 AND 27

R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,I have sworn to David my servant:Forever will I confirm your posterityand establish your throne for all generations.”R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.“I have found David, my servant;with my holy oil I have anointed him,That my hand may be always with him,and that my arm may make him strong.”R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,and through my name shall his horn be exalted.He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,my God, the Rock, my savior.'”R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Alleluia – MT 5:16

Gospel – MT 5:13-19

Jesus said to his disciples:“You are the salt of the earth.But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?It is no longer good for anythingbut to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.You are the light of the world.A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;it is set on a lampstand,where it gives light to all in the house.Just so, your light must shine before others,that they may see your good deedsand glorify your heavenly Father.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place.Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandmentsand teaches others to do sowill be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.But whoever obeys and teaches these commandmentswill be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

June 26, 2020

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 375

Reading 1 – 2 KGS 25:1-12

In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign,on the tenth day of the month,Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole armyadvanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it,and built siege walls on every side.The siege of the city continued until the eleventh year of Zedekiah.On the ninth day of the fourth month,when famine had gripped the city,and the people had no more bread,the city walls were breached.Then the king and all the soldiers left the city by nightthrough the gate between the two wallsthat was near the king’s garden.Since the Chaldeans had the city surrounded,they went in the direction of the Arabah.But the Chaldean army pursued the kingand overtook him in the desert near Jericho,abandoned by his whole army.The king was therefore arrested and brought to Riblahto the king of Babylon, who pronounced sentence on him.He had Zedekiah’s sons slain before his eyes.Then he blinded Zedekiah, bound him with fetters,and had him brought to Babylon.On the seventh day of the fifth month(this was in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar,king of Babylon),Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard,came to Jerusalem as the representativeof the king of Babylon.He burned the house of the Lord,the palace of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem;every large building was destroyed by fire.Then the Chaldean troops who were with the captain of the guardtore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.Then Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard,led into exile the last of the people remaining in the city,and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon,and the last of the artisans.But some of the country’s poor, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard,left behind as vinedressers and farmers.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6

R. (6AB) Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!By the streams of Babylonwe sat and weptwhen we remembered Zion.On the aspens of that landwe hung up our harps.R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!Though there our captors asked of usthe lyrics of our songs,And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:“Sing for us the songs of Zion!”R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!How could we sing a song of the Lordin a foreign land?If I forget you, Jerusalem,may my right hand be forgotten!R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!May my tongue cleave to my palateif I remember you not,If I place not Jerusalemahead of my joy.R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

Alleluia – MATTHEW 8:17

Gospel – MT 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,“I will do it. Be made clean.”His leprosy was cleansed immediately.Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,but go show yourself to the priest,and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;that will be proof for them.”

June 25, 2020

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 374

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 374

Reading 1 – 2 KGS 24:8-17

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign,and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta,daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.He did evil in the sight of the LORD,just as his forebears had done.At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,himself arrived at the citywhile his servants were besieging it.Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,his ministers, officers, and functionaries,surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.And he carried off all the treasuresof the temple of the LORD and those of the palace,and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold.He deported all Jerusalem:all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number,and all the craftsmen and smiths.None were left among the people of the land except the poor.He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon,and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylonthe king’s mother and wives,his functionaries, and the chief men of the land.The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylonall seven thousand men of the army,and a thousand craftsmen and smiths,all of them trained soldiers.In place of Jehoiachin,the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king,and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 79:1B-2, 3-5, 8, 9

R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;they have defiled your holy temple,they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.They have given the corpses of your servantsas food to the birds of heaven,the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.They have poured out their blood like waterround about Jerusalem,and there is no one to bury them.We have become the reproach of our neighbors,the scorn and derision of those around us.O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?Will your jealousy burn like fire?R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;may your compassion quickly come to us,for we are brought very low.R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.Help us, O God our savior,because of the glory of your name;Deliver us and pardon our sinsfor your name’s sake. R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Alleluia – JN 14:23

Gospel – MT 7:21-29

Jesus said to his disciples:“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’will enter the Kingdom of heaven,but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.Many will say to me on that day,‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?Did we not drive out demons in your name?Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’Then I will declare to them solemnly,‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on themwill be like a wise man who built his house on rock.The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and buffeted the house.But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.And everyone who listens to these words of minebut does not act on themwill be like a fool who built his house on sand.The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and buffeted the house.And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”When Jesus finished these words,the crowds were astonished at his teaching,for he taught them as one having authority,and not as their scribes.

June 24, 2020 – Sunday Vigil Mass

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist VigilLectionary: 586

Reading 1 – JER 1:4-10

In the days of King Josiah, the word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,before you were born I dedicated you,a prophet to the nations I appointed you.“Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,“I know not how to speak; I am too young.”But the LORD answered me,Say not, “I am too young.”To whomever I send you, you shall go;whatever I command you, you shall speak.Have no fear before them,because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD. Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying, See, I place my words in your mouth!This day I set youover nations and over kingdoms,to root up and to tear down,to destroy and to demolish,to build and to plant.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 71:1-2, 3-4A, 5-6AB, 15AB AND 17

R. (6) Since my mother’s womb, you have been my strength.In you, O LORD, I take refuge;let me never be put to shame.In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;incline your ear to me, and save me.R. Since my mother’s womb, you have been my strength.Be my rock of refuge,a stronghold to give me safety,for you are my rock and my fortress.O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.R. Since my mother’s womb, you have been my strength.For you are my hope, O LORD;my trust, O LORD, from my youth.On you I depend from birth;from my mother’s womb you are my strength.R. Since my mother’s womb, you have been my strength.My mouth shall declare your justice,day by day your salvation.O God, you have taught me from my youth,and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.R. Since my mother’s womb, you have been my strength.

Reading 2 – 1 PT 1:8-12

Beloved:Although you have not seen Jesus Christ you love him;even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.Concerning this salvation,prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yourssearched and investigated it,investigating the time and circumstancesthat the Spirit of Christ within them indicatedwhen he testified in advanceto the sufferings destined for Christand the glories to follow them.It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but youwith regard to the things that have now been announced to youby those who preached the Good News to youthrough the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,things into which angels longed to look.

Alleluia – JN 1:7; LK 1:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.He came to testify to the light,to prepare a people fit for the Lord.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – LK 1:5-17

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,there was a priest named Zechariahof the priestly division of Abijah;his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,and her name was Elizabeth.Both were righteous in the eyes of God,observing all the commandmentsand ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barrenand both were advanced in years.Once when he was servingas priest in his division’s turn before God,according to the practice of the priestly service,he was chosen by lotto enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outsideat the hour of the incense offering,the angel of the Lord appeared to him,standing at the right of the altar of incense.Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,because your prayer has been heard.Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,and you shall name him John.And you will have joy and gladness,and many will rejoice at his birth,for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.John will drink neither wine nor strong drink.He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,and he will turn many of the children of Israelto the Lord their God.He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijahto turn their hearts toward their childrenand the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

June 24, 2020 – Mass during the Day

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Mass During the DayLectionary: 587

Reading 1 – IS 49:1-6

Hear me, O coastlands,listen, O distant peoples.The LORD called me from birth,from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.He made of me a sharp-edged swordand concealed me in the shadow of his arm.He made me a polished arrow,in his quiver he hid me.You are my servant, he said to me,Israel, through whom I show my glory.Though I thought I had toiled in vain,and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,yet my reward is with the LORD,my recompense is with my God.For now the LORD has spokenwho formed me as his servant from the womb,that Jacob may be brought back to himand Israel gathered to him;and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,and my God is now my strength!It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,to raise up the tribes of Jacob,and restore the survivors of Israel;I will make you a light to the nations,that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15

R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:you know when I sit and when I stand;you understand my thoughts from afar.My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,with all my ways you are familiar.R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.Truly you have formed my inmost being;you knit me in my mother’s womb.I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;wonderful are your works.R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.My soul also you knew full well;nor was my frame unknown to youWhen I was made in secret,when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

Reading 2 – ACTS 13:22-26

In those days, Paul said:“God raised up David as king; of him God testified,I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;he will carry out my every wish.From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentanceto all the people of Israel;and as John was completing his course, he would say,‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.Behold, one is coming after me;I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,and those others among you who are God-fearing,to us this word of salvation has been sent.”

Alleluia – LK 1:76

R. Alleluia, alleluia.You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – LK 1:57-66, 80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her childshe gave birth to a son.Her neighbors and relatives heardthat the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,and they rejoiced with her.When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,but his mother said in reply,“No. He will be called John.”But they answered her,“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”and all were amazed.Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,and he spoke blessing God.Then fear came upon all their neighbors,and all these matters were discussedthroughout the hill country of Judea.All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,“What, then, will this child be?”For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the dayof his manifestation to Israel.

June 23, 2020

Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 372

Reading 1 – 2 KGS 19:9B-11, 14-21, 31-35A, 36

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent envoys to Hezekiahwith this message: “Thus shall you say to Hezekiah, king of Judah:‘Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive youby saying that Jerusalem will not be handed overto the king of Assyria.You have heard what the kings of Assyria have doneto all other countries: they doomed them! Will you, then, be saved?’”Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it;then he went up to the temple of the LORD,and spreading it out before him,he prayed in the LORD’s presence:“O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim!You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.You have made the heavens and the earth.Incline your ear, O LORD, and listen!Open your eyes, O LORD, and see!Hear the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nationsand their lands, and cast their gods into the fire;they destroyed them because they were not gods,but the work of human hands, wood and stone.Therefore, O LORD, our God, save us from the power of this man,that all the kingdoms of the earth may knowthat you alone, O LORD, are God.”Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent this message to Hezekiah:“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,in answer to your prayer for help against Sennacherib, king of Assyria:I have listened!This is the word the LORD has spoken concerning him:“‘She despises you, laughs you to scorn,the virgin daughter Zion!Behind you she wags her head,daughter Jerusalem.“‘For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant,and from Mount Zion, survivors.The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.’“Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria:‘He shall not reach this city, nor shoot an arrow at it,nor come before it with a shield,nor cast up siege-works against it.He shall return by the same way he came,without entering the city, says the LORD.I will shield and save this city for my own sake,and for the sake of my servant David.’”That night the angel of the LORD went forth and struck downone hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp.So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, broke camp,and went back home to Nineveh.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 48:2-3AB, 3CD-4, 10-11

R. (see 9D) God upholds his city forever.Great is the LORD and wholly to be praisedin the city of our God.His holy mountain, fairest of heights,is the joy of all the earth.R. God upholds his city forever.Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”is the city of the great King.God is with her castles;renowned is he as a stronghold.R. God upholds his city forever.O God, we ponder your mercywithin your temple.As your name, O God, so also your praisereaches to the ends of the earth.Of justice your right hand is full.R. God upholds his city forever.

Alleluia – JN 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the light of the world, says the Lord;whoever follows me will have the light of life.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.This is the Law and the Prophets.“Enter through the narrow gate;for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,and those who enter through it are many.How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.And those who find it are few.”

Reading 1 – 2 KGS 17:5-8, 13-15A, 18

Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, occupied the whole landand attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years.In the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israelthe king of Assyria took Samaria,and deported the children of Israel to Assyria,setting them in Halah, at the Habor, a river of Gozan,and the cities of the Medes.This came about because the children of Israel sinned against the LORD,their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt,from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,and because they venerated other gods.They followed the rites of the nationswhom the Lord had cleared out of the way of the children of Israeland the kings of Israel whom they set up.And though the LORD warned Israel and Judahby every prophet and seer,“Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes,in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathersand which I sent you by my servants the prophets,”they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers,who had not believed in the LORD, their God.They rejected his statutes,the covenant which he had made with their fathers,and the warnings which he had given them, till,in his great anger against Israel,the LORD put them away out of his sight.Only the tribe of Judah was left.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 60:3, 4-5, 12-13

R. (7B) Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses;you have been angry; rally us!R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.You have rocked the country and split it open;repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.You have made your people feel hardships;you have given us stupefying wine. R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.Have not you, O God, rejected us,so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies?Give us aid against the foe,for worthless is the help of men. R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

Alleluia – HEB 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.The word of God is living and effective,able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 7:1-5

Jesus said to his disciples:“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.For as you judge, so will you be judged,and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?How can you say to your brother,‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’while the wooden beam is in your eye?You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;then you will see clearlyto remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

Reading 1 – 1 PT 4:12-19

Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you,as if something strange were happening to you.But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ,so that when his glory is revealedyou may also rejoice exultantly.If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.But let no one among you be made to sufferas a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer.But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamedbut glorify God because of the name.For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God;if it begins with us, how will it endfor those who fail to obey the Gospel of God?

And if the righteous one is barely saved,where will the godless and the sinner appear?

As a result, those who suffer in accord with God’s willhand their souls over to a faithful creator as they do good.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 126:1BC-2AB, 2CD-3, 4-5, 6

R. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,we were like men dreaming.Then our mouth was filled with laughter,and our tongue with rejoicing.R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.Then they said among the nations,“The LORD has done great things for them.”The LORD has done great things for us;we are glad indeed.R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.Restore our fortunes, O LORD,like the torrents in the southern desert.Those who sow in tearsshall reap rejoicing.R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.Although they go forth weeping,carrying the seed to be sown,They shall come back rejoicing,carrying their sheaves.R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Alleluia – MT 5:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 10:34-39

Jesus said to the Twelve:“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.I have come to bring not peace but the sword.For I have come to set

a man ‘against his father,a daughter against her mother,and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;and one’s enemies will be those of his household.’

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;and whoever does not take up his crossand follow after me is not worthy of me.Whoever finds his life will lose it,and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

June 22, 2020 – Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola, bishop

Reading 1 – 2 COR 8:9-15

Brothers and sisters:You know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,that for your sake he became poor although he was rich,so that by his poverty you might become rich.And I am giving counsel in this matter,for it is appropriate for you who began not only to actbut to act willingly last year:complete it now, so that your eager willingness may be matchedby your completion of it out of what you have.For if the eagerness is there,it is acceptable according to what one has,not according to what one does not have;not that others should have relief while you are burdened,but that as a matter of equalityyour surplus at the present time should supply their needs,so that their surplus may also supply your needs,that there may be equality.As it is written:

Whoever had much did not have more,and whoever had little did not have less.

R. (8A and 9A) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.I have waited, waited for the LORD,and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.And he put a new song into my mouth,a hymn to our God.R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,but ears open to obedience you gave me.Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;then said I, “Behold I come.”R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,To do your will, O my God, is my delight,and your law is within my heart!”R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.I announced your justice in the vast assembly;I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;I have made no secret of your kindness and your truthin the vast assembly.R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Alleluia – MT 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are the poor in spirit;the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – LK 12:32-34

Jesus said to his disciples:‘Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.Sell your belongings and give alms.Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,an inexhaustible treasure in heaventhat no thief can reach nor moth destroy.For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

June 21, 2020

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 94

Reading 1 – JER 20:10-13

Jeremiah said:“I hear the whisperings of many:‘Terror on every side!Denounce! let us denounce him!’All those who were my friendsare on the watch for any misstep of mine.‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,and take our vengeance on him.’But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.In their failure they will be put to utter shame,to lasting, unforgettable confusion.O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,who probe mind and heart,let me witness the vengeance you take on them,for to you I have entrusted my cause.Sing to the LORD,praise the LORD,for he has rescued the life of the poorfrom the power of the wicked!”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35

R. (14C) Lord, in your great love, answer me.For your sake I bear insult,and shame covers my face.I have become an outcast to my brothers,a stranger to my children,Because zeal for your house consumes me,and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.I pray to you, O LORD,for the time of your favor, O God!In your great kindness answer mewith your constant help.Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;in your great mercy turn toward me.R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;you who seek God, may your hearts revive!For the LORD hears the poor,and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.Let the heavens and the earth praise him,the seas and whatever moves in them!’‘R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Reading 2 – ROM 5:12-15

Brothers and sisters:Through one man sin entered the world,and through sin, death,and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,though sin is not accounted when there is no law.But death reigned from Adam to Moses,even over those who did not sinafter the pattern of the trespass of Adam,who is the type of the one who was to come.But the gift is not like the transgression.For if by the transgression of the one the many died,how much more did the grace of Godand the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christoverflow for the many.

Alleluia – JN 15:26B, 27A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord;and you also will identify.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 10:26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve:“Fear no one.Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,nor secret that will not be known.What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;rather, be afraid of the one who can destroyboth soul and body in Gehenna.Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.Even all the hairs of your head are counted.So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.Everyone who acknowledges me before othersI will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.But whoever denies me before others,I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

June 20, 2020

The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, MemorialLectionary: 573

Reading 1 – IS 61:9-11

Thus says the LORD:The descendants of my people shall be renowned among the nations,and their offspring among the peoples;All who see them shall acknowledge themas a race the LORD has blessed.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,in my God is the joy of my soul;For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,like a bride bedecked with her jewels.As the earth brings forth its plants,and a garden makes its growth spring up,So will the Lord GOD make justice and praisespring up before all the nations.

Responsorial Psalm 1 – SM 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8ABCD

R. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“My heart exults in the LORD,my horn is exalted in my God.I have swallowed up my enemies;I rejoice in my victory.”R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“The bows of the mighty are broken,while the tottering gird on strength.The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,while the hungry batten on spoil.The barren wife bears seven sons,while the mother of many languishes.”R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“The LORD puts to death and gives life;he casts down to the nether world;he raises up again.The LORD makes poor and makes rich,he humbles, and also exalts.”R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“He raises the needy from the dust;from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,To seat them with noblesand make a glorious throne their heritage.”R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Alleluia – LK 2:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of Godand pondered it in her heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – LK 2:41-51

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,and when he was twelve years old,they went up according to festival custom.After they had completed its days, as they were returning,the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,but his parents did not know it.Thinking that he was in the caravan,they journeyed for a dayand looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,but not finding him,they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.After three days they found him in the temple,sitting in the midst of the teachers,listening to them and asking them questions,and all who heard him were astoundedat his understanding and his answers.When his parents saw him,they were astonished,and his mother said to him,“Son, why have you done this to us?Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”And he said to them,“Why were you looking for me?Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”But they did not understand what he said to them.He went down with them and came to Nazareth,and was obedient to them;and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

June 20, 2020 – The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, MemorialLectionary: 573

Reading 1 – IS 61:9-11

Thus says the LORD:The descendants of my people shall be renowned among the nations,and their offspring among the peoples;All who see them shall acknowledge themas a race the LORD has blessed.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,in my God is the joy of my soul;For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,like a bride bedecked with her jewels.As the earth brings forth its plants,and a garden makes its growth spring up,So will the Lord GOD make justice and praisespring up before all the nations.

Responsorial Psalm 1 – SM 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8ABCD

R. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“My heart exults in the LORD,my horn is exalted in my God.I have swallowed up my enemies;I rejoice in my victory.”R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“The bows of the mighty are broken,while the tottering gird on strength.The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,while the hungry batten on spoil.The barren wife bears seven sons,while the mother of many languishes.”R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“The LORD puts to death and gives life;he casts down to the nether world;he raises up again.The LORD makes poor and makes rich,he humbles, and also exalts.”R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“He raises the needy from the dust;from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,To seat them with noblesand make a glorious throne their heritage.”R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Alleluia – LK 2:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of Godand pondered it in her heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – LK 2:41-51

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,and when he was twelve years old,they went up according to festival custom.After they had completed its days, as they were returning,the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,but his parents did not know it.Thinking that he was in the caravan,they journeyed for a dayand looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,but not finding him,they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.After three days they found him in the temple,sitting in the midst of the teachers,listening to them and asking them questions,and all who heard him were astoundedat his understanding and his answers.When his parents saw him,they were astonished,and his mother said to him,“Son, why have you done this to us?Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”And he said to them,“Why were you looking for me?Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”But they did not understand what he said to them.He went down with them and came to Nazareth,and was obedient to them;and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

June 19, 2020

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Lectionary: 170

Reading 1 – DT 7:6-11

Moses said to the people:“You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God;he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earthto be a people peculiarly his own.It was not because you are the largest of all nationsthat the LORD set his heart on you and chose you,for you are really the smallest of all nations.It was because the LORD loved youand because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers,that he brought you out with his strong handfrom the place of slavery,and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed,the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenantdown to the thousandth generationtoward those who love him and keep his commandments,but who repays with destruction a person who hates him;he does not dally with such a one,but makes them personally pay for it.You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments,the statutes and the decrees that I enjoin on you today.”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 10.

R. (cf. 17) The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.Bless the LORD, O my soul;all my being, bless his holy name.Bless the LORD, O my soul;and forget not all his benefits.R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.He pardons all your iniquities,heals all your ills.He redeems your life from destruction,crowns you with kindness and compassion.R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.Merciful and gracious is the LORD,slow to anger and abounding in kindness.Not according to our sins does he deal with us,nor does he requite us according to our crimes.R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Reading 2 – 1 JN 4:7-16

Beloved, let us love one another,because love is of God;everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.In this way the love of God was revealed to us:God sent his only Son into the worldso that we might have life through him.In this is love:not that we have loved God, but that he loved usand sent his Son as expiation for our sins.Beloved, if God so loved us,we also must love one another.No one has ever seen God.Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,and his love is brought to perfection in us.This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,that he has given us of his Spirit.Moreover, we have seen and testifythat the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,God remains in him and he in God.We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.God is love, and whoever remains in loveremains in God and God in him.

Alleluia – MT 11:29A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord;and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,for although you have hidden these thingsfrom the wise and the learnedyou have revealed them to little ones.Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father,and no one knows the Father except the Sonand anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and humble of heart;and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

June 18, 2020

Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 368

Reading 1 – SIR 48:1-14

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijahwhose words were as a flaming furnace.Their staff of bread he shattered,in his zeal he reduced them to straits;By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavensand three times brought down fire.How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!Whose glory is equal to yours?You brought a dead man back to lifefrom the nether world, by the will of the LORD.You sent kings down to destruction,and easily broke their power into pieces.You brought down nobles, from their beds of sickness.You heard threats at Sinai,at Horeb avenging judgments.You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance,and a prophet as your successor.You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,in a chariot with fiery horses.You were destined, it is written, in time to cometo put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.Blessed is he who shall have seen you And who falls asleep in your friendship.For we live only in our life,but after death our name will not be such.O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind!Then Elisha, filled with the twofold portion of his spirit,wrought many marvels by his mere word.During his lifetime he feared no one,nor was any man able to intimidate his will.Nothing was beyond his power;beneath him flesh was brought back into life.In life he performed wonders,and after death, marvelous deeds.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7

R. (12A) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;let the many isles be glad.Clouds and darkness are round about him,justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!Fire goes before himand consumes his foes round about.His lightnings illumine the world;the earth sees and trembles.R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,before the Lord of all the earth.The heavens proclaim his justice,and all peoples see his glory.R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!All who worship graven things are put to shame,who glory in the things of nought;all gods are prostrate before him.R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Alleluia – ROM 8:15BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.You have received a spirit of adoption as sonsthrough which we cry: Abba! Father!R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,who think that they will be heard because of their many words.Do not be like them.Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name,thy Kingdom come,thy will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread;and forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us;and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,your heavenly Father will forgive you.But if you do not forgive others,neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

June 17, 2020

Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 367

Reading 1 – 2 KGS 2:1, 6-14

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”“As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.And so the two went on together.Fifty of the guild prophets followed andwhen the two stopped at the Jordan,they stood facing them at a distance.Elijah took his mantle, rolled it upand struck the water, which divided,and both crossed over on dry ground.When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha,“Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”“You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied.“Still, if you see me taken up from you,your wish will be granted; otherwise not.”As they walked on conversing,a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them,and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”But when he could no longer see him,Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him,and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 31:20, 21, 24

R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.How great is the goodness, O LORD,which you have in store for those who fear you,And which, toward those who take refuge in you,you show in the sight of the children of men.R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.You hide them in the shelter of your presencefrom the plottings of men;You screen them within your abodefrom the strife of tongues.R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!The LORD keeps those who are constant,but more than requites those who act proudly.R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Alleluia – JN 14:23

Gospel – MT 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:“Take care not to perform righteous deedsin order that people may see them;otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streetsto win the praise of others.Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you give alms,do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,so that your almsgiving may be secret.And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street cornersso that others may see them.Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,and pray to your Father in secret.And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.They neglect their appearance,so that they may appear to others to be fasting.Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,except to your Father who is hidden.And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

June 16, 2020

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 366

Reading 1 – 1 KGS 21:17-29

After the death of Naboth the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite:“Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel,who rules in Samaria.He will be in the vineyard of Naboth,of which he has come to take possession.This is what you shall tell him,‘The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession?For this, the LORD says:In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.’”Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?”“Yes,” he answered.“Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight,I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy youand will cut off every male in Ahab’s line,whether slave or freeman, in Israel.I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah,because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin.”(Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared,“The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.”)“When one of Ahab’s line dies in the city,dogs will devour him;when one of them dies in the field,the birds of the sky will devour him.”Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evilin the sight of the LORD as did Ahab,urged on by his wife Jezebel.He became completely abominable by following idols,just as the Amorites had done,whom the LORD drove out before the children of Israel.

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garmentsand put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,“Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?Since he has humbled himself before me,I will not bring the evil in his time.I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 11 AND 16

R. (see 3B) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.Thoroughly wash me from my guiltand of my sin cleanse me. R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.For I acknowledge my offense,and my sin is before me always:“Against you only have I sinned,and done what is evil in your sight.”R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.Turn away your face from my sins,and blot out all my guilt.Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;then my tongue shall revel in your justice.R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Alleluia – JN 13:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I give you a new commandment;love one another as I have loved you.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:“You have heard that it was said,You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.But I say to you, love your enemiesand pray for those who persecute you,that you may be children of your heavenly Father,for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?Do not the tax collectors do the same?And if you greet your brothers only,what is unusual about that?Do not the pagans do the same?So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

June 15, 2020

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 365

Reading 1 – 1 KGS 21:1-16

Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreelnext to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,since it is close by, next to my house.I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbidthat I should give you my ancestral heritage.”Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answerNaboth the Jezreelite had made to him:“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.

His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreeliteand said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”His wife Jezebel said to him,“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!Get up. Eat and be cheerful.I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,having sealed them with his seal,sent them to the elders and to the nobleswho lived in the same city with Naboth.This is what she wrote in the letters:“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.Next, get two scoundrels to face himand accuse him of having cursed God and king.Then take him out and stone him to death.”His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,through the letters she had sent them.They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,“Naboth has cursed God and king.”And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.Then they sent the information to Jezebelthat Naboth had been stoned to death.

When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,she said to Ahab,“Go on, take possession of the vineyardof Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his waydown to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,to take possession of it.

Alleluia – PS 119:105

Gospel – MT 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:“You have heard that it was said,An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.When someone strikes you on your right cheek,turn the other one to him as well.If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,hand him your cloak as well.Should anyone press you into service for one mile,go with him for two miles.Give to the one who asks of you,and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

June 14, 2020

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of ChristLectionary: 167

Reading 1 – DT 8:2-3, 14B-16A

Moses said to the people:“Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,has directed all your journeying in the desert,so as to test you by afflictionand find out whether or not it was your intentionto keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,and then fed you with manna,a food unknown to you and your fathers,in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.

“Do not forget the LORD, your God,who brought you out of the land of Egypt,that place of slavery;who guided you through the vast and terrible desertwith its saraph serpents and scorpions,its parched and waterless ground;who brought forth water for you from the flinty rockand fed you in the desert with manna,a food unknown to your fathers.”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R. Alleluia.Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;praise your God, O Zion.For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;he has blessed your children within you.R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R. Alleluia.He has granted peace in your borders;with the best of wheat he fills you.He sends forth his command to the earth;swiftly runs his word!R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R. Alleluia.He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.He has not done thus for any other nation;his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 – 1 COR 10:16-17

Brothers and sisters:The cup of blessing that we bless,is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?The bread that we break,is it not a participation in the body of Christ?Because the loaf of bread is one,we, though many, are one body,for we all partake of the one loaf.

Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,Jesu, of your love befriend us,You refresh us, you defend us,Your eternal goodness send usIn the land of life to see.

You who all things can and know,Who on earth such food bestow,Grant us with your saints, though lowest,Where the heav’nly feast you show,Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.

Alleluia – JN 6:51

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord;whoever eats this bread will live forever.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – JN 6:51-58

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds:“I am the living bread that came down from heaven;whoever eats this bread will live forever;and the bread that I will giveis my flesh for the life of the world.”The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them,“Amen, amen, I say to you,unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my bloodhas eternal life,and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food,and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my bloodremains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent meand I have life because of the Father,so also the one who feeds on mewill have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

June 13, 2020

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the ChurchLectionary: 364

Reading 1 – 1 KGS 19:19-21

Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;he was following the twelfth.Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,and I will follow you.”Elijah answered, “Go back! Have I done anything to you?”Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,and gave it to his people to eat.Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 16:1B-2A AND 5, 7-8, 9-10

R. (see 5A) You are my inheritance, O Lord.Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,you it is who hold fast my lot.R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.I bless the LORD who counsels me;even in the night my heart exhorts me.I set the LORD ever before me;with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,my body, too, abides in confidence;Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Alleluia – PS 119:36A, 29B

Gospel – MT 5:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,Do not take a false oath,but make good to the Lord all that you vow.But I say to you, do not swear at all;not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.Do not swear by your head,for you cannot make a single hair white or black.Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’Anything more is from the Evil One.”

June 13, 2020 – Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest, and doctor of the Church

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the ChurchLectionary: 581

Reading 1 – IS 61:1-3D

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,because the LORD has anointed me;He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captivesand release to the prisoners,To announce a year of favor from the LORDand a day of vindication by our God,to comfort all who mourn;To place on those who mourn in Ziona diadem instead of ashes,To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 21-22, 25 AND 27

R. (2) Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,I have sworn to David my servant:Forever will I confirm your posterityand establish your throne for all generations.”R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” have found David, my servant;with my holy oil I have anointed him,That my hand may be always with him,and that my arm may make him strong.”R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.“y faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,and through my name shall his horn be exalted.He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,my God, the Rock, my savior.'”R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Alleluia – LK 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poorand to proclaim liberty to captives.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – LK 10:1-9

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two other discipleswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,“he harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter, first say,‘Peace to this household.’If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves his payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'”

June 12, 2020

Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 363

Reading 1 – 1 KGS 19:9A, 11-16

At the mountain of God, Horeb,Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.But the word of the LORD came to him,“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;the LORD will be passing by.”A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountainsand crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind.After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake.After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire.After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.When he heard this,Elijah hid his face in his cloakand went and stood at the entrance of the cave.A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?”He replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD,the God of hosts.But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,torn down your altars,and put your prophets to the sword.I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.”The LORD said to him,“Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus.When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram.Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel,and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah,as prophet to succeed you.”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 27:7-8A, 8B-9ABC, 13-14

R. (8B) I long to see your face, O Lord.Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;have pity on me, and answer me.Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.R. I long to see your face, O Lord.Your presence, O LORD, I seek.Hide not your face from me;do not in anger repel your servant.You are my helper: cast me not off.R. I long to see your face, O Lord.I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORDin the land of the living.Wait for the LORD with courage;be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. R. I long to see your face, O Lord.

Alleluia – PHIL 2:15D, 16A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Shine like lights in the world,as you hold on to the word of life.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 5:27-32

Jesus said to his disciples:“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lusthas already committed adultery with her in his heart.If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.It is better for you to lose one of your membersthan to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.It is better for you to lose one of your membersthan to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

“It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

June 11, 2020 – Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Reading 1 – ACTS 11:21B-26; 13:1-3

In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord.The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.When he arrived and saw the grace of God,he rejoiced and encouraged them allto remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.And a large number of people was added to the Lord.Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.For a whole year they met with the Churchand taught a large number of people,and it was in Antioch that the discipleswere first called Christians.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger,Lucius of Cyrene,Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saulfor the work to which I have called them.”Then, completing their fasting and prayer,they laid hands on them and sent them off.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6

R. (see 2B) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.Sing to the LORD a new song,for he has done wondrous deeds;His right hand has won victory for him,his holy arm.R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.The LORD has made his salvation known:in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulnesstoward the house of Israel.R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.All the ends of the earth have seenthe salvation by our God.Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;break into song; sing praise.R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,with the harp and melodious song.With trumpets and the sound of the hornsing joyfully before the King, the LORD.R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Alleluia – MT 28:19A, 20B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;I am with you always, until the end of the world.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 10:7-13

Jesus said to the Twelve:“As you go, make this proclamation:‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,or sandals, or walking stick.The laborer deserves his keep.Whatever town or village you enter,look for a worthy person in it,and stay there until you leave.As you enter a house, wish it peace.If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it;if not, let your peace return to you.”

June 10, 2020

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 361

Reading 1 – 1 KGS 18:20-39

Ahab sent to all the children of Israeland had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel.

Elijah appealed to all the people and said,“How long will you straddle the issue?If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.”The people, however, did not answer him.So Elijah said to the people,“I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD,and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.Give us two young bulls.Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood,but start no fire.I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood,but shall start no fire.You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD.The God who answers with fire is God.”All the people answered, “Agreed!”

Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal,“Choose one young bull and prepare it first,for there are more of you.Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire.”Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared itand called on Baal from morning to noon, saying,“Answer us, Baal!”But there was no sound, and no one answering.And they hopped around the altar they had prepared.When it was noon, Elijah taunted them:“Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating,or may have retired, or may be on a journey.Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears,as was their custom, until blood gushed over them.Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic stateuntil the time for offering sacrifice.But there was not a sound;no one answered, and no one was listening. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.”When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the LORDthat had been destroyed.He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob,to whom the LORD had said, “Your name shall be Israel.”He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones,and made a trench around the altarlarge enough for two measures of grain.When he had arranged the wood,he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood.“Fill four jars with water,” he said,“and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.”“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.“Do it a third time,” he said,and they did it a third time.The water flowed around the altar,and the trench was filled with the water.

At the time for offering sacrifice,the prophet Elijah came forward and said,“LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,let it be known this day that you are God in Israeland that I am your servantand have done all these things by your command.Answer me, LORD!Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are Godand that you have brought them back to their senses.”The LORD’s fire came downand consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust,and it lapped up the water in the trench.Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said,“The LORD is God! The LORD is God!”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 16:1B-2AB, 4, 5AB AND 8, 11

R. (1B) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.They multiply their sorrowswho court other gods.Blood libations to them I will not pour out,nor will I take their names upon my lips.R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,you it is who hold fast my lot.I set the LORD ever before me;with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.You will show me the path to life,fullness of joys in your presence,the delights at your right hand forever.R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

Alleluia – PS 25:4B, 5A

Gospel – MT 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place.Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandmentsand teaches others to do sowill be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.But whoever obeys and teaches these commandmentswill be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

June 9, 2020

Reading 1 – 1 KGS 17:7-16

The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry,because no rain had fallen in the land.So the LORD said to Elijah: “Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.I have designated a widow there to provide for you.”He left and went to Zarephath.As he arrived at the entrance of the city,a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,“Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.”She left to get it, and he called out after her,“Please bring along a bit of bread.”She answered, “As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked;there is only a handful of flour in my jarand a little oil in my jug.Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;when we have eaten it, we shall die.”Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose.But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,‘The jar of flour shall not go empty,nor the jug of oil run dry,until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’”She left and did as Elijah had said.She was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well;the jar of flour did not go empty,nor the jug of oil run dry,as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 4:2-3, 4-5, 7B-8

R. (7A) Lord, let your face shine on us.When I call, answer me, O my just God,you who relieve me when I am in distress;Have pity on me, and hear my prayer!Men of rank, how long will you be dull of heart?Why do you love what is vain and seek after falsehood?R. Lord, let your face shine on us.Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.Tremble, and sin not;reflect, upon your beds, in silence. R. Lord, let your face shine on us.O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!You put gladness into my heart,more than when grain and wine abound.R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

Alleluia – MT 5:16

Gospel – MT 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:“You are the salt of the earth.But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?It is no longer good for anythingbut to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.You are the light of the world.A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;it is set on a lampstand,where it gives light to all in the house.Just so, your light must shine before others,that they may see your good deedsand glorify your heavenly Father.”

June 9, 2020 – Memorial of Saint Ephrem, deacon and doctor of the Church

Optional Memorial of Saint Ephrem, deacon and doctor of the ChurchLectionary: 579

Reading 1 – COL 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,bearing with one another and forgiving one another,if one has a grievance against another;as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.And over all these put on love,that is, the bond of perfection.And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,the peace into which you were also called in one Body.And be thankful.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songswith gratitude in your hearts to God.And whatever you do, in word or in deed,do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 37:3-4, 5-6, 30-31

R. (30A) The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.Trust in the LORD and do good,that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.Take delight in the LORD,and he will grant you your heart’s requests.R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.Commit to the LORD your way;trust in him, and he will act.He will make justice dawn for you like the light;bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.The mouth of the just tells of wisdomand his tongue utters what is right.The law of his God is in his heart,and his steps do not falter.R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

Alleluia – JN 15:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – LK 6:43-45

Jesus said to his disciples:“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.For every tree is known by its own fruit.For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,nor do they gather grapes from brambles.A good person, out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil,for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

June 8, 2020

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 359

Reading 1 – 1 KGS 17:1-6

Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”The LORD then said to Elijah:“Leave here, go eastand hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.You shall drink of the stream,and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.”So he left and did as the LORD had commanded.He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,and bread and meat in the evening,and he drank from the stream.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 121:1BC-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;whence shall help come to me?My help is from the LORD,who made heaven and earth.R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.May he not suffer your foot to slip;may he slumber not who guards you:Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,the guardian of Israel.R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;he is beside you at your right hand.The sun shall not harm you by day,nor the moon by night.R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.The LORD will guard you from all evil;he will guard your life.The LORD will guard your coming and your going,both now and forever.R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Alleluia – MATTHEW 5:12A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Rejoice and be glad;for your reward will be great in heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they who mourn,for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the land.Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.Blessed are the clean of heart,for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute youand utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.Rejoice and be glad,for your reward will be great in heaven.Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Blueprint Monday

“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.” From time to time in this journey of life, things happen that we simply do not understand. These are the times when we are called to place complete trust in the Lord and pray for the patient wisdom to await the fulfillment of understanding or more confidence in His ways. This is all beautifully brought together with the proclamation of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Just as Moses in the Old Testament came down the mountain with the Law in the form of the Ten Commandments, Jesus walked up the mountain and fulfilled what the great Law-giver started and mapped out the way to survive “the time of great distress” for each and every one of us. The Beatitudes create the blueprint of living a beautiful, Christian life. These eight blessings are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching and respond to the natural desire that we all have for true and lasting happiness.And they do one more thing: The Beatitudes proclaim the blessings and rewards that have already been secured for those who love Jesus. Just imagine, there’s a place in Heaven for you and it has your name on it!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” The secret of our spiritual success is given beautifully in the Gospel. Jesus, like Moses in the Old Testament, comes down the mountain to deliver and impart “The New Law of Love,” and much like the Ten Commandments, these give life and point the clear way to salvation. These are known as the Beatitudes and “are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching.” (CCC 1716) “They shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life.” (CCC 1717) And “they respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.”

Today, sometime before it is all over and done with, take some time to revisit this passage in Matthew’s Gospel. Go over each Beatitude slowly and with positive intention. Tell the Lord, “I want to succeed.” And you will: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

June 7, 2020

The Solemnity of the Most Holy TrinityLectionary: 164

Reading 1 – EX 34:4B-6, 8-9

Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinaias the LORD had commanded him,taking along the two stone tablets.

Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses thereand proclaimed his name, “LORD.”Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,“The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.”Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O Lord,do come along in our company.This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins,and receive us as your own.”

Responsorial Psalm – DN 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52B) Glory and praise forever!Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;And blessed is your holy and glorious name,praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.R. Glory and praise forever!Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.R. Glory and praise forever!Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.R. Glory and praise forever!Blessed are you who look into the depthsfrom your throne upon the cherubim,praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.R. Glory and praise forever!

Reading 2 – 2 COR 13:11-13

Brothers and sisters, rejoice.Mend your ways, encourage one another,agree with one another, live in peace,and the God of love and peace will be with you.Greet one another with a holy kiss.All the holy ones greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christand the love of Godand the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Alleluia – CF. RV 1:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;to God who is, who was, and who is to come.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – JN 3:16-18

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,so that everyone who believes in him might not perishbut might have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,but that the world might be saved through him.Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Do You Like A Good Mystery?

I know many who do and I‘ll bet, so do you. I would like to propose at least (3) three reasons why some deeply enjoy mysteries: 1. They are a “safe thrill”: such as an amusement park ride, a fast merry-go-round, or a wildly colorful Ferris Wheel. Similarly, mysteries are safe adventures because we get to visit exotic or otherwise interesting places and meet even more intriguing people. We encounter the dark side of people, but somehow we always know that good will overcome evil. 2. We like mysteries because we can often relate to one or several of the characters. People enjoy following the detective or the CSI team because we believe that we can be part of the solution. We belong to the “winning team” and restore justice, love, and peace. 3. On perhaps the most basic level, we like mysteries for the same reasons others read romance or historical fiction or sci-fi novels. We find ourselves instantly involved in the characters’ lives, and being there with them, feeling what they feel, seeing what they see, experiencing their emotional journey. What happens is that our world view grows. It fills up our loneliness and helps us figure out how to connect in the world. We learn about how others live and see the world, opening up our perspective and experiences.

Today, you and I presented with a magnificent mystery: the Mystery of the Nature of God. It may in fact be the same reasons that people enjoy the literary genre of mystery, that we can find some inner excitement over what the Church provides for us today.

“Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, “LORD.” (First Reading) Imagine. A front-row seat to the gift of the Ten Commandments is all ours. We meet Moses and the Creator God in the most intriguing of all places on Mt. Sinai. And today, on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, we are all certainly on the “winning team” as we remind ourselves of this miraculous membership every time we sign ourselves with the Sign of the Cross involving that same Glorious Mystery: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. “ (Second Reading) Finally, Jesus has been graciously given to us for the most sublime of all reasons: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Jesus said to His Apostles…“Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (Gospel)

If we truly enter into the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, even with just a simple act of Faith that involves our reason and our intellect, what happens is that our world view grows. It fills up our loneliness and helps us figure out how to connect in the world. We learn about how others live and see the world, opening up our perspective and experiences. Remember this every time you make the Sign of the Cross with Holy Water: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Mystery Solved.

“The mystery of God hugs you in its all-encompassing arms.” St. Hildegard of Bingen

June 6, 2020

Reading 1 – 2 TM 4:1-8

Beloved:I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,who will judge the living and the dead,and by his appearing and his kingly power:proclaim the word;be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrinebut, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truthand will be diverted to myths.But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;put up with hardship;perform the work of an evangelist;fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a libation,and the time of my departure is at hand.I have competed well;I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,which the Lord, the just judge,will award to me on that day, and not only to me,but to all who have longed for his appearance.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 71:8-9, 14-15AB, 16-17, 22

R. (see 15AB) I will sing of your salvation.My mouth shall be filled with your praise,with your glory day by day.Cast me not off in my old age;as my strength fails, forsake me not.R. I will sing of your salvation.But I will always hopeand praise you ever more and more.My mouth shall declare your justice,day by day your salvation. R. I will sing of your salvation.I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;O God, I will tell of your singular justice.O God, you have taught me from my youth,and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.R. I will sing of your salvation.So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre,for your faithfulness, O my God!I will sing your praises with the harp,O Holy One of Israel!R. I will sing of your salvation.

Alleluia – MT 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are the poor in spirit;for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MK 12:38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said,“Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robesand accept greetings in the marketplaces,seats of honor in synagogues,and places of honor at banquets.They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext,recite lengthy prayers.They will receive a very severe condemnation.”

He sat down opposite the treasuryand observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.Many rich people put in large sums.A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in morethan all the other contributors to the treasury.For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,her whole livelihood.”

June 6, 2020 – Memorial of Saint Norbert, bishop

Reading 1 – EZ 34:11-16

Thus says the Lord GOD:I myself will look after and tend my sheep.As a shepherd tends his flockwhen he finds himself among his scattered sheep,so will I tend my sheep.I will rescue them from every place where they were scatteredwhen it was cloudy and dark.I will lead them out from among the peoplesand gather them from the foreign lands;I will bring them back to their own countryand pasture them upon the mountains of Israelin the land’s ravines and all its inhabited places.In good pastures will I pasture them,and on the mountain heights of Israelshall be their grazing ground.There they shall lie down on good grazing ground,and in rich pastures shall they be pasturedon the mountains of Israel.I myself will pasture my sheep;I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.The lost I will seek out,the strayed I will bring back,the injured I will bind up,the sick I will heal,but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,shepherding them rightly.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 23:1-3A, 4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.In verdant pastures he gives me repose;Beside restful waters he leads me;he refreshes my soul.R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.Even though I walk in the dark valleyI fear no evil; for you are at my sideWith your rod and your staffthat give me courage.R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.You spread the table before mein the sight of my foes;You anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows.R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.Only goodness and kindness follow meall the days of my life;And I shall dwell in the house of the LORDfor years to come.R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Alleluia – MT 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are the poor in spirit;for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – LK 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,and he turned and addressed them,“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,wife and children, brothers and sisters,and even his own life,he cannot be my disciple.Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after mecannot be my disciple.Which of you wishing to construct a towerdoes not first sit down and calculate the costto see if there is enough for its completion?Otherwise, after laying the foundationand finding himself unable to finish the workthe onlookers should laugh at him and say,‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’Or what king marching into battle would not first sit downand decide whether with ten thousand troopshe can successfully oppose another kingadvancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?But if not, while he is still far away,he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.In the same way,everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessionscannot be my disciple.”

Widow Wisdom

Let’s take a look at the mention of the widow in the Bible: 56 times in the Old Testament; 26 in the New. With these many occurrences, clearly something beautiful is going on and we need to examine this if we are to gain spiritual benefits from these powerful Readings from Holy Scripture. Today, there is mention of one widow’s sacrifice in the Gospel. (St. Mark) In the Old Testament, the common words associated with the mention of widows were: weeping, mourning, desolation, poverty, and indebtedness. They were especially vulnerable because they were absolutely dependent on everyone and thus had known both the joy of love and the anguish of loss more than any other member of society. And because of this particular life experience, widows probably reflected the image of God much more significant than others.

In the New Testament, widows were prominent such as Anna, the long-time widower temple attendant who was uniquely privileged to greet the infant Messiah; A widow who received the miraculous gift of seeing her son healed by Jesus because of His deep and warm compassion for her; there is the remarkable persistence from a widow who keeps demanding justice from a corrupt judge and the reversal of the standards of generosity because of the astounding act of a widow in the temple. (Today)

This life is it. There will be no “second-chance,” or “let me try this again until I get it right.” Instead, it appears that before our final, earthly, and physical death, there is an urgency for us to face a spiritual dying to oneself, to empty oneself of attachments and obsessions, and to recall the example and image of the widow who “put in more than all the other contributors…but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” Spiritual poverty begins with depending on God completely, letting go of the non-important pettiness we encounter, and contribute our livelihood, our very center to following the Lord Jesus. This takes us to the border between life and death where there are no guarantees – only hope, where there are no answers – only faith, and where there is no security – only love. This is where the poor widow lives. This is where God lives. And they live in union as one. In the face of the poor widow – the face of spiritual poverty – Jesus sees and recognizes Himself – and we see Him.

So my dear friends, what are we to do as we bathe in the grace of these powerful proclamations from Scripture? First, practice the faith. Of course, the spiritual life is a struggle, but within that grind, we find ourselves and our road to holiness. Second, be generous in the things of God and pray for the spirit of detachment. The widow lived this remarkable spirit and even though in monetary terms, her offering didn’t amount to much, her intention and her heart certainly did, as she was poised for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Finally, reject discouragement: “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world, you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (Jesus, in John 16:33)

June 5, 2020

Reading 1 – 2 TM 3:10-17

You have followed my teaching, way of life,purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions,and sufferings, such as happened to mein Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra,persecutions that I endured.Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me.In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesuswill be persecuted.But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse,deceivers and deceived.But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,because you know from whom you learned it,and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvationthrough faith in Christ Jesus.All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching,for refutation, for correction,and for training in righteousness,so that one who belongs to God may be competent,equipped for every good work.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 119:157, 160, 161, 165, 166, 168

R. (165A) O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.Though my persecutors and my foes are many,I turn not away from your decrees.R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.Permanence is your word’s chief trait;each of your just ordinances is everlasting.R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.Princes persecute me without causebut my heart stands in awe of your word. R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.Those who love your law have great peace,and for them there is no stumbling block.R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.I wait for your salvation, O Lord,and your commands I fulfill.R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.I keep your precepts and your decrees,for all my ways are before you.R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Alleluia – JOHN 14:23

Gospel – MK 12:35-37

As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,“How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David?David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:The Lord said to my lord,‘Sit at my right handuntil I place your enemies under your feet.’David himself calls him ‘lord’;so how is he his son?”The great crowd heard this with delight.

I Gave It All

“But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Many among our readers who have had the blessing of raising children into adults for this aching society so in need of character and faith-filled people have commented that they remember the first time their child attempted to lie to them. For some, it was a bit traumatic, for others humorous (really, Son?) and still for others, downright disappointing. For all of us who can at least understand this dynamic whether or not we have been parents, this is a spiritual insight into the heart of God who has not only created us out of love and for love but also continues to sustain our very being with His very thought. “O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.”

Still, the experience of parenting, bringing as it does, great similarity to the “parenting” or shepherding that God provides for us, all issues forth a challenge for each one of us, especially in these summer months, purpose and peace: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.” Like with most sinful behavior between God and humanity, parent and child, friend to friend, there is always distance created and that separation actually causes more problems. We were born into this life with defects, and we will certainly leave with a handful of them as well. One can ask themselves, how well will I manage them? How will I come closer to Jesus by accepting my own limitations and those of people around me? How will I use what God has given me in this life?

These are great questions, no doubt. The answers we find will determine whether we experience the deep grace and love of the Lord or not.

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.'” Erma Bombeck

June 5, 2020 – Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr

Reading 1 – ACTS 26:19-23

Paul said:“King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.On the contrary, first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalemand throughout the whole country of Judea,and then to the Gentiles,I preached the need to repent and turn to God,and to do works giving evidence of repentance.That is why the Jews seized me when I was in the templeand tried to kill me.But I have enjoyed God’s help to this very day,and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike,saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses foretold,that the Messiah must suffer and that,as the first to rise from the dead,he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 117:1BC, 2

L (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia.Praise the LORD, all you nations;glorify him, all you peoples!R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia.For steadfast is his kindness toward us,and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia.

Alleluia – JN 10:14

Gospel – JN 10:11-16

Jesus said:“I am the good shepherd.A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.A hired man, who is not a shepherdand whose sheep are not his own,sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,and the wolf catches and scatters them.This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.I am the good shepherd,and I know mine and mine know me,just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;and I will lay down my life for the sheep.I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,and there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

June 4, 2020

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 356

Reading 1 – 2 TM 2:8-15

Beloved:Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering,even to the point of chains, like a criminal.But the word of God is not chained.Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,together with eternal glory.This saying is trustworthy:

If we have died with himwe shall also live with him;if we perseverewe shall also reign with him.But if we deny himhe will deny us.If we are unfaithfulhe remains faithful,for he cannot deny himself.

Remind people of these thingsand charge them before God to stop disputing about words.This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen.Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God,a workman who causes no disgrace,imparting the word of truth without deviation.

Responsorial Psalm – 25:4-5AB, 8-9, 10 AND 14

R. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;teach me your paths,Guide me in your truth and teach me,for you are God my savior.R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.Good and upright is the LORD;thus he shows sinners the way.He guides the humble to justice,he teaches the humble his way.R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancytoward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,and his covenant, for their instruction.R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Alleluia – 2 TIMOTHY 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MK 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,“Which is the first of all the commandments?”Jesus replied, “The first is this:Hear, O Israel!The Lord our God is Lord alone!You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,with all your soul, with all your mind,and with all your strength.The second is this:You shall love your neighbor as yourself.There is no other commandment greater than these.”The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.You are right in saying,He is One and there is no other than he.And to love him with all your heart,with all your understanding,with all your strength,and to love your neighbor as yourselfis worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Astonished

“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Imagine a long journey to visit someone very special in your life, perhaps a grandmother or an old friend who lives far away in a small town where you used to live and haven’t visited for quite a while. As your vehicle leaves your city and travels into the country, the surroundings and the signs begin to remind you to have a happier, less complicated times. Then the smells kick in. Just think of the aromas of childhood and blissful memories as they begin to flood every fiber of your being. You are almost there. You are not far. This experience must have filled the scribe in our Gospel today. We must be eager for that same intimate familiarity as well and it is truly ours as the Second Reading relates.

“Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation.” This eagerness to grow closer to Jesus is the best way to travel toward Heaven in this life. Wanting with every effort we can muster to be acceptable and pleasing to God who loves us as we are, doing everything as if no one was watching except the One, and always attempting to speak the truth is our plan of action. With this, we can rest assured that we are not far at all.

“We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.” Brennan Manning

June 3, 2020

Reading 1 – 2 TM 1:1-3, 6-12

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of Godfor the promise of life in Christ Jesus,to Timothy, my dear child:grace, mercy, and peace from God the Fatherand Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am grateful to God,whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flamethe gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.For God did not give us a spirit of cowardicebut rather of power and love and self-control.So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;but bear your share of hardship for the Gospelwith the strength that comes from God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life,not according to our worksbut according to his own designand the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,but now made manifestthrough the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,who destroyed death and brought life and immortalityto light through the Gospel,for which I was appointed preacher and Apostle and teacher.On this account I am suffering these things;but I am not ashamed,for I know him in whom I have believedand am confident that he is able to guardwhat has been entrusted to me until that day.

Responsorial – 123:1B-2AB, 2CDEF

R. (1B) To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.To you I lift up my eyeswho are enthroned in heaven.Behold, as the eyes of servantsare on the hands of their masters.R. To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.As the eyes of a maidare on the hands of her mistress,So are our eyes on the LORD, our God,till he have pity on us.R. To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.

Alleluia – JOHN 11:25A, 26

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;whoever believes in me will never die.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MK 12:18-27

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,came to Jesus and put this question to him, saying,“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child,his brother must take the wifeand raise up descendants for his brother.Now there were seven brothers.The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants.So the second brother married her and died, leaving no descendants,and the third likewise.And the seven left no descendants.Last of all the woman also died.At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be?For all seven had been married to her.”Jesus said to them, “Are you not misledbecause you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?When they rise from the dead,they neither marry nor are given in marriage,but they are like the angels in heaven.As for the dead being raised,have you not read in the Book of Moses,in the passage about the bush, how God told him,I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,and the God of Jacob?He is not God of the dead but of the living.You are greatly misled.”

The Happiness Trap

“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” There are more than just a few people who have wondered what may sound to others to be unthinkable: is it possible that pursuing happiness actually a cause of sour, distasteful unhappiness? Perhaps in all of Scripture there can be found no more perfect of a focus group to highlight those who fall into a happiness trap than the sad group (no pun intended) in today’s Gospel Reading: “Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and put this question to him…” You see, the real clue here as to why these people are so miserable is because they do not hope for or believe in the Resurrection. How sad for the Sadducees.

“You are greatly misled.” This is definitely not a phrase you nor I would ever want to hear from Jesus which is why we are so richly blessed to have the Word nourish us today. The Resurrection of Christ is everything. Life would not be worth living if we did not realize that a much better eternal life was simply waiting for us when our time approaches. Today, lift your head and shake off any regrets or sadness that could lead you to take your focus off the great Miracle of the Resurrection of Jesus. Commit this phrase to memory as you may never know when you might need it for yourself or to share it with someone who needs it even more: “He is not God of the dead but of the living.”

“The more we try to avoid the basic reality that all human life involves pain, the more we are likely to struggle with that pain when it arises, thereby creating even more suffering.” Russ Harris

Reading 1 – 2 MC 7:1-2, 9-14

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrestedand tortured with whips and scourges by the king,to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law.One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said:“What do you expect to achieve by questioning us?We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”

At the point of death he said:“You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life,but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.It is for his laws that we are dying.”

After him, the third suffered their cruel sport.He put out his tongue at once when told to do so,and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words:“It was from Heaven that I received these;for the sake of God’s laws I disdain them;from him I hope to receive them again.”Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man’s courage,because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.

After he had died,they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way.When he was near death, he said,“It is my choice to die at the hands of menwith the God-given hope of being restored to life by him;but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.”

Responsorial Psalm – PS 124:2-3, 4-5, 7B-8

R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Had not the LORD been with us–When men rose up against us,then would they have swallowed us aliveWhen their fury was inflamed against us.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;The torrent would have swept over us;over us then would have sweptthe raging waters.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Broken was the snare,and we were freed.Our help is in the name of the LORD,who made heaven and earth.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Alleluia – MT 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are the poor in spirit;for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MT 5:1-12A

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.He began to teach them, saying:“Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they who mourn,for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the land.Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.Blessed are the clean of heart,for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute youand utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.Rejoice and be glad,for your reward will be great in heaven.”

June 2, 2020

Reading 1 – 2 PT 3:12-15A, 17-18

Beloved:Wait for and hasten the coming of the day of God,because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flamesand the elements melted by fire.But according to his promisewe await new heavens and a new earthin which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation.

Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned,be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipledand to fall from your own stability.But grow in graceand in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.To him be glory now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Responsorial – 90:2, 3-4, 10, 14 AND 16

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.Before the mountains were begottenand the earth and the world were brought forth,from everlasting to everlasting you are God.R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.You turn man back to dust,saying, “Return, O children of men.”For a thousand years in your sightare as yesterday, now that it is past,or as a watch of the night.R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.Seventy is the sum of our years,or eighty, if we are strong,And most of them are fruitless toil,for they pass quickly and we drift away.R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.Let your work be seen by your servantsand your glory by their children.R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Alleluia – EPHESIANS 1:17-18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christenlighten the eyes of our hearts,that we may know what is the hopethat belongs to his call.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – MK 12:13-17

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sentto Jesus to ensnare him in his speech.They came and said to him,“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful manand that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.You do not regard a person’s statusbut teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?Should we pay or should we not pay?”Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them,“Why are you testing me?Bring me a denarius to look at.”They brought one to him and he said to them,“Whose image and inscription is this?”They replied to him, “Caesar’s.”So Jesus said to them,“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesarand to God what belongs to God.”They were utterly amazed at him.

Asking The Right Question

“Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Depending on how you view the scene, this question has traveled down throughout the centuries as famous or infamous. It has become a famous question because it almost always begins the age-old discussion about the relationship between the Church and the Government, or the State. It has become infamous because of the sinister motivation behind the ones asking this “trick-question” of Jesus. “Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why are you testing me?'”

Both perspectives are actually beneficial for us on the journey toward Heaven. The discussion about the Church-State relationship is important to distinguish authority, power, and the greater good for society. The Church should never be in the business of governing and the government should not be established as a spiritual force that mandates or even polices morality. And in this same paragraph, it is important to remember that not everyone who asks “religious” questions is really out for a religious outcome. People can hide behind the veil of piety just to be right, access power, or obtain the upper hand in any given situation. Our First Reading gives us plenty of insight as to how to follow a straight and narrow path toward justice and peace: “Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled and to fall from your own stability.”

“‘Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things which are God’s.’ One would like to add: Give unto man things which are man’s; give man his freedom and personality, his rights and religion.” Pope Pius XII

June 2, 2020 – Memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs

Reading 1 – 2 COR 6:4-10

Brothers and sisters:In everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God,through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships,constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots,labors, vigils, fasts;by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,in the power of God;with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;as dying and behold we live;as chastised and yet not put to death;as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;as poor yet enriching many;as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Responsorial Psalm – PS 124:2-3, 4-5, 7B-8

R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Had not the LORD been with usBWhen men rose up against us,then would they have swallowed us aliveWhen their fury was inflamed against us.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;The torrent would have swept over us;over us then would have sweptthe raging waters.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.Broken was the snare,and we were freed.Our help is in the name of the LORD,who made heaven and earth.R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Alleluia – 2 COR 1:3B-4A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed be the Father of compassion and the God of all encouragement,who encourages us in every affliction.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – JN 17:11B-19

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, saying:“Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me,so that they may be one just as we are one.When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,and I guarded them, and none of them was lostexcept the son of destruction,in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.But now I am coming to you.I speak this in the worldso that they may share my joy completely.I gave them your word, and the world hated them,because they do not belong to the worldany more than I belong to the world.I do not ask that you take them out of the worldbut that you keep them from the Evil One.They do not belong to the worldany more than I belong to the world.Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.As you sent me into the world,so I sent them into the world.And I consecrate myself for them,so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

Your Mother My Defense

“O happy Virgin, you gave birth to the Lord; O blessed mother of the Church, you warm our hearts with the Spirit of your Son Jesus Christ.”Today, the Church remembers and honors the intense suffering and grief of the Mother of Jesus during His Passion and Death and how these were gloriously transformed to bring us Jesus, Redemption and the Church. There were actually seven individual sorrows that Mary endured as was foretold to her by Simeon the priest of the Temple on the occasion of the Lord’s Presentation. Here is a partial text of a very popular hymn somberly expressing these heartfelt sentiments: At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, his sorrow sharing, All his bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword had passed. Our present hope for our Christian journey toward Heaven is found here in the mystery of today’s Feast.

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?” Let us reflect on the mystery and fruits of suffering as presented by St. John Paul II in a remarkable teaching borne out of his own incredible personal sufferings. First, he says that suffering empowers humility: To suffer means to become particularly susceptible, particularly open to the working of the salvific powers of God, offered to humanity in Christ. In him God has confirmed his desire to act especially through suffering, which is man’s weakness and emptying of self, and he wishes to make his power known precisely in this weakness and emptying of self. Secondly, he teaches that suffering is transformative: Down through the centuries and generations, it has been seen that in suffering there is concealed a particular power that draws a person interiorly close to Christ, a special grace. To this grace, many saints, such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and others, owe their profound conversion. A result of such a conversion is not only that the individual discovers the salvific meaning of suffering but above all that he becomes a completely new person. He discovers a new dimension, as it were, of his entire life and vocation. Finally, he writes that suffering enlivens and grows charity and love for and of others: We could say that suffering . . . is present in order to unleash love in the human person, that unselfish gift of one’s “I” on behalf of other people, especially those who suffer. The world of human suffering unceasingly calls for, so to speak, another world: the world of human love; and in a certain sense man owes to suffering that unselfish love that stirs in his heart and actions.

Thus, suffering in its purest sense is actually the road to holiness and a closer walk and friendship with the Lord Jesus. His mother shed human tears for the Divine Son she helped bring into this world, our world. We cry human tears but not always for what is right and just. Today we seek to move toward complete integrity on this walk of ours toward Heaven, knowing and embracing humility, deep-seated change, and charity which are all great gifts when we suffer with each other, with Jesus always in our hearts and minds as equally dignified members of the Church.

“Let me mingle tears with you, Mourning him who mourned for me, All the days that I may live. Christ, when you shall call me hence, Be your Mother my defense, Be your cross my victory.” Stabat Mater

June 1, 2020

Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the ChurchLectionary: 572A

Reading 1 – GN 3:9-15, 20

After Adam had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?”He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.”Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me— she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?”The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:“Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures;On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life.I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.”The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

Or

Acts 1:12-14After Jesus had been taken up to heaven, the Apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.

When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Responsorial Psalm – 87:1-2, 3 AND 5, 6-7

R. (3) Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.His foundation upon the holy mountains the LORD loves:The gates of Zion, more than any dwelling of Jacob.R. Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!And of Zion they shall say: “One and all were born in her;And he who has established her is the Most High LORD.”R. Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled: “This man was born there.”And all shall sing, in their festive dance: “My home is within you.”R. Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.O happy Virgin, you gave birth to the Lord;O blessed mother of the Church,you warm our hearts with the Spirit of your Son Jesus Christ.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – JN 19:25-34

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.”And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.”There was a vessel filled with common wine.So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.”And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately Blood and water flowed out.

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As kind as much as she is competent, Rosie always knows the right things to say to comfort, instruct and challenge. It is immediately obvious that she has trained her mind to see and notice the best in everything and everyone with the firm belief that prayer does not change God but the one who prays and believes and trusts and she greets every day with a confident smile.

Jessica Gutierrez-Robles

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Replete with new ideas on a daily basis as well as the most personable approach to tasks all across the spectrum of the workplace, Jessica sees answers and possibilities where some just see mountains too high to climb. Bringing newness and fresh insights to the Foundation, she clearly believes that people are usually as happy as they make their mind up to be.

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Dynamic and determined, Tina sees solutions to the most mundane as well as the most complex challenges sometimes revealing them all in the same sentence. Realizing that life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced, she looks for clarity and the best possible path to success in every endeavor especially in the distribution of the Scriptures.

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Gerald “Jerry” R. Ramirez

Board Member

Embodying the principle that every good man attempts great and noble deeds even though he may risk everything, Jerry brings a richness and insight to every conversation and discussion imaginable. Clearly understanding that life can only be understood backwards but definitely lived forwards, he succinctly cuts through the non-essential and time-wasting fluff to get to the heart of the matter.

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Grateful for an amazing group of friends and a life that has been blessed and enriched by so many, Andrea brings a deep joy and dedication to the mission of CityOfAgape. She is detail-oriented and uses her experience and foresight to proactively address the needs of those around her. When you speak with Andrea, you feel like you’re the only one in the room.

Angelyn Burk

Secretary/Treasurer

Every day, for nine months, an intermittent light rain falls in Seattle, Washington. Those days are brightened by the warm smile and hopeful outlook on life that Angelyn brings to every encounter. Her financial expertise and engaging conversation has ensured great things ahead for CityOfAgape. Her life is filled with a constant welcome that is focused and friendly.

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Jacqueline’s life epitomizes hard work, creative service and complete dedication, not only to CityOfAgape, but also to her husband, Joshua, and her beautiful children. Her smile, even when things are difficult, is refreshing and comforting. In most currently used English dictionaries, under the word “energy,” you will find Jacqueline’s picture.

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Board Member

Everyone needs to have a Ray “Redfish” for a friend or at least to meet one like him before you leave the planet. He has never been known to interrupt a single person, say an unkind thing, although he did come close during the last Dallas Cowboy game, or leave any food on his plate. Ray wants to live in a world where Jesus is Lord, life is sacred, and blessings never end.

Rev. David A. Hemann

Board Member

Father David comes from the land of Iowa where you can get sunburn and frostbite all in the same week. He has the mind of an architect and the soul of a musician. Father David has given his heart to Jesus and truly lives in the Kingdom. An accomplished guitarist, drummer, phenomenal preacher, he has the voice of a baritone angel. His prayers are powerful and his humor, well… it’s Iowan.

Rev. James S. Farfaglia, Pastor

Board Member

Father James’ priestly service has taken him to four different countries, many parish settings, and in contact with more friends that rivals most politicians. One of his favorite quotes is by G.K. Chesterton, “Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.” If there are sounds of a lively discussion, mixed with hearty laughter and the aroma of a good cigar, Father James can’t be too far way.

John E. Doherty II

Founder and President Emeritus

The minute John walks through the door, your IQ goes up. He embodies the remarkable talent of grasping the bigger picture while juggling multiple points of view, in a world where many are very one-sided. Always happy, even when he is sad, John is ready to challenge and comfort all in the same breath. Where some only see problems, John sees the bright promise of tomorrow. His inspiration and memory will outlast his years on earth. John always says, “there are always miracles where there is great love.”